Daily Devotional

Most of you know that Lynette and I live in the foothills near Prather.  All around us are the signs of spring.  The winter rains have caused nature to come alive again.  The grass is green, the trees are leafing out and the wildflowers are blooming.  It is beautiful in the foothills now and I wish it could stay this way throughout the summer.  I believe God has made the spring to be a great reminder of the message of Easter.  The One who created all the beauty we see around us in nature, died for our sins and rose to new life on that first Easter morning almost 2000 years ago.  “He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”  (John 1:2–3 NKJV) This year we have the privilege of celebrating again what Christ’s followers have celebrated since the first century.  The disciples and hundreds of others in the first century saw Christ alive after His crucifixion.  Today by faith we know Him and His resurrected life living in us.  What a joy it is to have a real living relationship with the risen Lord.      

Christ’s resurrection has great significance to us today.  In the book of 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul in the 15th chapter argues for the reality of Christ’s resurrection.  He makes a startling statement when he writes, “For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.  And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!  Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” (1 Corinthians 15:16–19 NKJV) The resurrection of Christ is an essential truth.  Without it, we have no salvation.  Our sins are not forgiven, and all our religious activity is hollow and without meaning.  If Christ is not raised, we of all people are to be pitied because we have put our faith in a hoax and have encouraged others to believe this lie.  If there is no resurrection of the dead, those who have died falsely believing in the resurrection of Christ have perished.  

The truth is that Christ is raised from the dead and is alive today!  The proof is that He was seen alive after his crucifixion and burial by many people including the Apostle Paul himself. (1 Corinthians 15:5–8) The central theme of Christianity is the resurrection of Christ.  After stating that without the resurrection there is no hope, Paul states a fact.  “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20 NKJV) Christ is the “firstfruits.”  Three days after the Passover, the Jewish people would offer the first fruits of the spring harvest.  It was a time of thanksgiving for God’s provision.  The harvest could not begin until the offering of firstfruits.  The Jewish people would bring a sheaf of grain to wave before the Lord.  The offering was given believing there was a much greater harvest to follow.  

On the morning that the priests of Israel would begin presenting the offerings of the firstfruits, Jesus rose from the dead.  Christ was the firstfruits in His resurrection and fulfilled the true spiritual meaning of this offering.  He was raised guaranteeing there were to be a great number of resurrections to follow.  Christ’s resurrection guarantees our resurrection.  Because Christ rose, never to die again, we have that same hope.  When our loved ones who know the Lord, pass from this life, we can stand at their grave with hope.  We grieve in hope of the resurrection.  “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.”  (1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 NKJV)

This Easter, we have hope for our future because Christ is alive today.  Someday we will experience resurrection or transformation at the coming of Christ.  This great event can happen at any time on any day.  Let us keep our eyes looking heavenward!  “…looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…” (Titus 2:13 NKJV)

Prayer:  Lord, it is so easy for us to keep our eyes fixed on the things of this earth.  Help me to look heavenward and to live life with eternity in view.  Without clearly seeing my hope for the future, Lord I know I will not live a pure and fruitful life this side of heaven.  As I worship You Lord Jesus this Easter, thank you for dying for my sin and rising from the grave.  I dedicate my life to live for You and to share the good news of the gospel with others.  Amen

Interested in following along with a past 40 Days for Life devotional?

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New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.